Journalists from Homa Bay recently completed a two-day cancer reporting training as Aga Khan Hospital Kisumu, in partnership with AFD, Aga Khan Foundation and the Gates Foundation, launched the East Africa Comprehensive Women’s Cancer Project targeting counties in western and coastal Kenya and parts of Tanzania.
Project Manager Kennedy Mulama said the initiative seeks to reduce deaths and new cases of cervical and breast cancer through prevention, early screening and treatment.
“We are focusing on community screening, treatment support and HPV vaccination to reduce mortality and incidence,” Mulama said.
The programme targets Homa Bay, Kisumu and other counties within the Lake Region Economic Block and aims to vaccinate more than one million girls aged 10–14 in Western Kenya. Health officials note that early detection improves treatment outcomes compared to late-stage diagnosis.
The hospital is collaborating with county governments and partners to screen women of reproductive age and expand public awareness through community health workers, forums and media campaigns.
The project also includes specialized training for health workers and renovation of the oncology unit at Homa Bay County Fargo Hospital to enable local chemotherapy services and reduce external referrals, which previously averaged 15 patients per month.
Mobile clinics deployed to hard-to-reach areas can screen up to 200 people daily and vaccinate as many as 500 girls. Two units are currently operating in Homa Bay County, with plans to cover all wards and villages.
Collins Nyanje, Coordinator for Cancer Control at the County Government of Homa Bay, Department of Public Health and Medical Services, said journalist engagement would improve public awareness and service uptake.
“We expect better vaccination and screening response as information reaches more households,” Nyanje said.
Parents of girls aged 10–15 were urged to consent to HPV vaccination, while women were advised to seek early screening.
Jeremiah Orondo, a Homa Bay journalist, said media practitioners will use their platforms to promote early detection.
“We want communities to know cancer is treatable if identified early,” he said.
Lawrence Okomu Maguar, Senior Communications Officer at the County Government of Homa Bay, said the training had strengthened knowledge on cervical and breast cancer and improved information dissemination across the county.